The Confession (The Promise Series Book 7) Read online

  He thinks on my question for a moment, his eyes leaving me in consideration before they slowly return to mine, even softer than they’d been only seconds before.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart,” he confesses with a sigh of regret. “I wish I did. I wish I knew a way to help fix this, help give you the answers I know you want, you need,” he whispers as he leans against the headrest, his eyes still trained on me. “If I could make this fade away, I’d do it in a second.”

  “I know you would,” I sniff, my heart clenching in my chest at the emotion in his voice. “I just… if she hates me forever, then it’ll break my heart, but at least I’ll know she’s okay.”

  “I know, princess,” he says, pressing his lips to my forehead before glancing down at me again. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I reply, the way his full lips tilt slightly beckoning for me to feel them on mine.

  When I pull away a moment later, my eyes slowly flutter open, content when I see him doing the same. He sucks gently on my lower lip, his tongue darting out quickly to give me a final taste as we simultaneously melt against the seat, still as lovesick as we’d been in the beginning.

  “You ready to go in?” he asks low, giving my inner thigh another squeeze as I nod gently. “Come on.”

  He pushes the door open, extending his hand to help me slide out beside him before giving me another quick peck on the lips and taking my hand, leading me toward our front door.

  “Don’t forget I’ll have to drive myself to work in the morning so I can leave when Aunt Deb gets here,” I remind him, pulling a quick nod from him.

  “I remember,” he assures me. “Do you know what time?”

  “Probably around ten,” I reply, gratitude filling my chest once again as I recall the conversation I’d had with her last night.

  With everything going on this week, we were doing good to get back home by bedtime. While Heather has been amazing, we have no idea how long it will be until things calm down. I know she’s always there to help when I need her, but I also know I can’t keep intruding on her time by asking her to watch our children. Thankfully, my Aunt Deb was gracious enough to offer to make the drive up and stay for a few days to help.

  “Ten, huh?” he asks, pulling me from my thoughts and making me nod. “Well, I guess that means I’ll have to get my fill of you tonight, then,” he teases with a wink as he comes to a slow stop outside our front door. His fingertips reach for the waist of my jeans and give me a gentle tug closer before he sinks his lips into my neck quickly and pulls away with a grin. “Are you hungry?” he asks, glancing down at me as I shake my head. “Baby, you gotta eat.”

  “I’m not hungry and even if I were, my nerves are shot,” I argue. “I’m pretty sure if I try to force myself to eat anything, it’s only going to make me sick.”

  “You don’t have to eat much, but you do have to eat something,” he insists, coming to a stop in front of the door and resting his forearms on my shoulders, leaning forward to touch his forehead to mine. “If I make you something, will you eat supper with me?” he asks quietly. “Grilled cheese… pizza… BLT? I’ll make you whatever you want.”

  “Babe…” I hold his eyes, ready to resist when he cuts me off, his lips so close, I can taste his breath on mine.

  “I think you’ve still got some ice cream in the freezer,” he husks, teasing my lips with his tongue. “I’ll make you a bowl of ice cream with extra chocolate on top if you want,” he holds my eyes, taking a step closer and his waist flush with my stomach making me lightheaded as he gives me a deliciously slow and torturous kiss. “Once the kids are asleep, I’ll put some whipped cream on that motherfucker, strip you down and throw your pretty little ass up on the kitchen counter and feed it to you,” he rasps, his words making it impossible for the corners of my lips to turn up gently. “Would you eat for me then?”

  “Maybe,” I whimper as he bites down on my lower lip, sucking it as his heavy eyes still bore into mine. “Do we have any rocky road left?” I ask, pulling an amused nod from him. “And what about you?” I continue, my resolve fading fast as he runs his lips down my neck. “Will you also be naked?”

  “You eat that ice cream, I’ll be whatever you want me to be, baby,” he promises, pulling a long, low groan from my chest.

  “Do you promise you won’t get chocolate in my hair this time?” I ask, making him chuckle as his lips raise to mine once more.

  “Hmm… I can’t make any guarantees,” he pulls away, reaching for my hand and glancing down at me as his key hovers over the lock. “I’ll run us a bath after, though,” he says. The thought of soaking in the tub with him after the week we’re having pulls another groan from my chest. “Oh, yeah, sugar. Daddy’ll getcha cleaned up real nice.”

  “Ugh… baby!” I groan, my contorting features pulling a low, deep chuckle from his broad chest. “Why do you do that? It’s so creepy.”

  “Don’t act like you don’t love it,” he counters with a wink, chuckling deep again when my cheeks heat scarlet. “Cause my lady’s a freak,” he sings, making me laugh as he pushes through the door, surprising me when he comes to an abrupt stop that has me colliding gently with him in the doorway. “What the fuck?”

  Chase

  “Well, I think I know why Heather didn’t text you back,” I manage under my breath.

  “I had no idea people could bend like that,” Sophie blurts, covering her eyes as she turns away from the porno-worthy humpfest happening in the middle of our living room floor.

  “So… you’re home early,” Matt muses, freezing his actions completely, Heather’s mouth falling open in surprise.

  “I’m fired, huh?” she asks, her disheveled blue hair flipping over as she rises to face us, her features shifting in disappointment.

  “Where the fuck are my kids?” I demand, stepping over the threshold and searching the room, well-most of it, save for the two frozen perverts currently taking up residence in the middle of our living room.

  “Sophie’s aunt decided to come tonight instead of tomorrow, so she picked them up like an hour ago and took them to get something for supper. I texted you, Soph,” Heather explains, glancing up at Matt nervously before swatting his hand away. “Dude, let go of that,” she whispers harshly, pulling a roll from my eyes. “And get that out of… you know…”

  “Oh, my God!” Sophie groans, the sound making me turn to find her forehead resting against the front door, still refusing to fully face either of them. “Why didn’t you just leave?”

  “I tried to,” Heather replies with a half shrug. “But then I remembered I never got the spare key from you this morning and I didn’t feel right leaving the front door unlocked.”

  “But this felt okay?” Sophie asks, her arms flailing out behind her dramatically as she still faces the porch in resistance. “Jesus Christ, you two. I didn’t even know y’all were a thing!”

  “We’re not really…”

  “Well, we’re not sure. We were in the middle of deciding a few things, but you came home before we could…”

  “What?” Sophie shrieks, her voice loud enough to make the three of us jump.

  “How can we make an informed decision before we’ve even made each other…”

  “This might be an isolated incident…”

  “Yeah, but we might also be in love…”

  “Or at least exchange numbers…”

  “We haven’t really talked about it yet,” they say in unison.

  “Oh, fuck me sideways…” she groans. “First of all, you never texted me about any of this,” she shakes her head, one of her fingers flying up as she shouts defiantly toward the porch. “You said the kids were having supper and then some crazy shit about Jamie and a pair of rollerblades,” she shakes her head at the nonsensical words.

  “Well, that was pretty much the gist of it,” Heather says under her breath, barely stifling the eye roll.

  “Second,” Sophie cuts her off, her hand still raised as she raises a second fin
ger. “I’m never going to be able to close my eyes again without seeing… what the fuck are you two even… No!” she shakes her head, dry heaving. “I can’t… Don’t tell me anything. Just go.”

  “Sophie…”

  “And take that… that thing… with you…” she cuts them off again, finally turning toward the living room, her hand covering her eyes as she steps out of the doorway, clearing a path for them. “I have to disinfect everything in this house…” she trails off as she steps toward me, the terror in her features making even me chuckle. “Stop laughing. And watch where you fuckin’ step, baby,” she carefully steps around me, still shielding her eyes on her way toward the kitchen. “Where is the dog?”

  “Outside.”

  “Okay, good. Now, please get out of my house.”

  “Soph-”

  “Take your ass home to pray, Matthew,” she cuts him off, shielding her eyes as they slip passed her to the door. “Both of you freaks need Jesus.”

  ***

  After checking in with Deb, I’m forced to put my naughty ice cream plans on hold and instead, follow my wife around the house with more cleaning products than I honestly even realized were inside our house.

  “Some freakin’ people,” she murmurs under her breath, making me smirk as she glances over at me. “Did you see anything?” she asks, pulling a nod from me. “What the hell were they even do…”

  “Don’t ask, baby,” I cut her off, shaking my head and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, bending to wipe down the coffee table she’s just doused in disinfectant.

  “Chase?” she asks. When I pull my gaze back up to hers, I can’t deny the terror swimming in her perfect green eyes. “What…?”

  “It involved a tennis ball, a red thong and a turkey baster.”

  “My turkey baster?” she whispers, her eyebrows scrunching together in heartbreak when I nod my answer. “What happened with my turkey baster?”

  “Shh…” I whisper, hooking my arm around her shoulders and pressing my lips to her hair. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

  “But I had to special order-”

  “I will buy you a new one,” I repeat as I cut her off, shaking my head.

  She sighs, rubbing her temples for a moment before her eyes move up to mine, exhausted.

  “This is insane. You really think you know a person…” she trails off, her mind reeling before she snaps out of it and goes back to work on the coffee table. “As much as Matty talks about his sex life with like… everyone… you’d think we would have known by now he was a Dom.”

  “Well, that’s because he isn’t, baby,” I shake my head, unable to stifle the nervous laughter the flashback brings from my chest. “He definitely is not.”

  “So, you mean…?” I nod my answer, making her eyes go wide. “Oh, my God.”

  “Yeah,” I sigh. “Let’s never speak of this again.”

  “Done,” she agrees easily, releasing a yawn of exhaustion as she heads toward the kitchen. “I’m going to start a pot of coffee.”

  “Alright, princess,” I echo her yawn, pressing my lips to her hair once more. “I’ll go set the couch on fire.”

  Thursday

  “Her shroud is loneliness.

  Her heaven will be a love without betrayal.”

  -Beyonce

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jack

  It’s a little later than usual by the time I walk into the bar. Between the less than promising call from my sister, the tireless searching and every day life that refuses to slow down, I’m more than exhausted right now.

  I’d spoken to everyone I could today while I moved through the city, driving any and everywhere I could think of to find her. Much to my dismay, none of the others had come up with anything, either. Sophie and Emily had even spent the bulk of the morning on the phone with hospitals, trying their best to find out if Ana had been admitted, but they came up empty handed, as well.

  It’s funny how life works sometimes. I left my home in Camden, my seemingly stressful life along with it to make things better. While I was enlisted, I suffered heartache I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I was sure if I ever made it back home, things would even out, be better. They had to, didn’t they? But fate had something different in store for me and I ended up living on my own in the middle of nowhere, fighting for my life day after day in a warzone.

  I survived, came back certain the rest of my days would be filled with all the happiness I’d longed for on those nights, only to find more heartache waiting for me here.

  Compared to losing Sophie, those nights in a cave were a vacation in Bermuda, a paradise I would’ve traded everything for just to have her back. I didn’t think I’d pull through then, but somehow, I did. I pulled through and found my reason for breathing standing behind a random bar in the same place fate took me. Things were finally working out, my life wasn’t perfect, but she made it feel like it was pretty damned close.

  Now, my sister, the glue that’s helped hold my broken soul together through all of it, is missing.

  We find ourselves in these catastrophes, fighting for our lives more often than we think possible, unsure of how we’ll make it out alive, intact. Somehow, by the grace of God, I’ve been able to do it enough times to be hopeful I can do it this time, too. I just can’t help but wonder how.

  How do you find your way home when the sun that has always lit your way refuses to be found?

  These thoughts, the same that have dominated my mind for days, are the same that consume me as I pull the heavy door open and step inside.

  One look at her pretty blue eyes from across the room heals that just a little bit.

  “Hey gorgeous,” I smile as I take my favorite stool and settle in across the bar from her.

  She doesn’t answer me right away, seemingly lost in her thoughts for a moment as she scrolls through something on her phone. I watch her for a second, the way she bites on the inside of her cheek while absentmindedly playing with the end of her long ponytail making me smirk to myself. I missed her. I rest my chin on my hand, ready to tell her just as much when the movement jolts her from her concentration and her eyes come straight to mine.

  “Hey,” she smiles, somewhat bashfully once she knows I’ve been watching her so unapologetically. “I’m sorry. How long have you been here?”

  “Just a minute,” I admit before I glance down at her phone. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” she nods, hesitantly at first until she sees my eyebrows quirk together in question and she releases a sigh. “Well, I think it’s eventually going to be okay. Today was my deadline to find someone to play,” she gestures toward the small stage to the left of the bar before her eyes return to mine, somewhat defeated.

  “Still no luck?”

  “No,” she shakes her head. “Well, I mean, I found a couple of people, but Ron’s so cheap, no one will play for what he’s willing to pay. I mean, he wants Norah Jones or Green Day for the price of a cheeseburger. It’s insane,” she rolls her eyes, her words making me smirk. “I’m waiting on a message from this guy, but I don’t think it’ll help much tonight. He’s in Houston and it’s already seven, so I think next week is the earliest I’ll be able to get him over here.”

  “Did you talk to your boss?” I ask, making her shake her head once more.

  “No, but he’ll be here any minute,” she sighs. “I know he’s going to flip out on me, threaten my job…” she trails off, her gaze filled with worry before she moves her attention back to her phone, squaring her shoulders once more. “Doesn’t matter. I can only do what I can do. If he cuts my hours and pulls me from management over it, I’ll figure something out, I’ve got a few applications in for nursing positions that would pay enough to quit this place anyway, so fingers crossed one of those will work out,” she reasons, releasing another long, exhausted sigh, returning the affectionate squeeze I give her hand from across the bar. She glances up at me and as she does, her eyes fill with apology. “I’m sorry.”

  “Wha
t are you sorry for?”

  “For immediately launching into the stress of a job I wish I didn’t need before even asking how your day’s been.”

  “Don’t apologize, baby,” I wave her off, thanking her for the beer she slides toward me. “Selfish as it sounds, talking about your day helps me not think about mine so much,” I admit, making her eyes soften in understanding. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word. I’ll do whatever I can.”

  “Do Norah Jones or Green Day owe you any favors?” she asks playfully, making me shake my head. “Well, I tried,” she shrugs, making me chuckle. “Unless you know someone who will play for peanuts and free beer, I don’t think there’s anything you can do. Honestly, I think we both know I wouldn’t let you help me anyway,” she admits, pulling a frustrated nod of agreement from me. “But thank you for asking.”

  “You’re welcome,” I reply quietly. “You know, you don’t always have to be so stubborn,” I offer, making her arch her eyebrow when I wink. “I know you’re used to doing things on your own and I kind of love that. Your independence is one of the things I first admired about you,” I admit as I watch her eyes soften. “You were on your own for a long time and I get it, but you aren’t in that place anymore,” I remind her. “It’s okay to ask me for help, Jen.”

  “I know,” she admits, making my eyes grow wide for a moment and she begins to blush as she laughs at my reaction.

  “Do you really?” I ask teasingly, although the words couldn’t be more genuine. “Because you never let me help you with shit, baby.”

  “I know,” she says again. “I’m trying not to be so bullheaded, it’s just hard to take help when it hasn’t been there for so long,” she confesses. “My mom’s always been around for me, but aside from her, it’s just been me and Eli,” she reminds me, even though we both know it isn’t needed. “It’s hard to switch back from that, depend on another person when everyone else has always kind of faded in and out.”